March 2017

Live-r and Let Die

These organisms were identified on histologic examination of the liver of a Bald Eagle.

Histologic prep of liver:

A closer look:

What is your diagnosis? Scroll down to see the answer...

Answer:The presence of opercula and the evidence of a fully formed embryo, or miracidium, in several eggs, allow identification of these structures as trematode eggs. Given the location in the liver, the host involved, and the size and morphology, the eggs are consistent with Amphimerus elongatus which has been reported to cause fatal hepatic disease in Bald Eagles, Common Loons, and Double-crested Cormorants.​Case and photomicrographs kindly provided by Dr. Gary Conboy, Professor of Parasitology, and Dr. Pierre-Yves Daoust, Professor of Anatomic Pathology and Wildlife Pathology, Atlantic Veterinary College, PEI.​